Rotary cutter



Jan. 19, 1954 J. G. ANTOSH 2,6 85

' ROTARY CUTTER Filed June 6, 1950 I. I I...

5 /7 i 1% 1 22 l 20 '1 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 19, 1954 UNIT ED STATES A l T F F l C E ROTARY CUTTER John G. Antosh, Rhinelan'der, W is.

Application June6, 1950, SeriaLN 0. 166,368

2 Claims. (Cl.1'1-6470-) The present invention relates to cutters of the type having annular formation and supported upon a pair of parallelly disposed shafts with the blades in contacting relation, for cutting sheet material, either fabric or metal, includin corrugated paper, when the same is fed between the blades and when the shafts rotate.

Due to the rigid connection of the cutter blades with the shaft-sit often happens that the blades, during the cutting operation, exertan undue degree of pressure upon'each other from a lateral direction with the resultant chipping .off of the blades and damaging them and thereby completely destroying their usefulness. Such chipped cutting blades must be replaced with the new ones. The objectionable result mentioned is caused primarily 'by the shafts coming out of proper parallel. alinement, which in turn may be caused by misalinement of the shaft supporting bearings due to one wearing off sooner than the other, or due to other causes.

Therefore, the principal object of the present inventionis the .prov'isionrof the yielding supporting means for the cutter blades, which may permit the cutter blades .to yield, one away from the other, in a lateral direction, and axially of the shafts, without in any manner detracting from the proper operativeness of the cutter blades.

Another object .of the present invention is the provision of ,an annular supporting member, with which a ring is associated, to which the cutter blade is rigidly affixed, with tensioning means provided between said supporting member and said ring for permitting the ring and cutter blade to yield or shift away from the end of the supporting member, whenever an undue pressure is exerted upon the cutter blade by the other cooperating cutter blade, for the purpose of obviating the undesirable result hereinabove specified.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear as th invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this application, and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throu hout the several views:

.Fig. l is a side elevational View of a pair of shafts upon which a pair of cutters is supported in a vmutually operative position, with the cutter blades in a contacting relation, ready to receive sheet of material for cutting the same;

Fig. '2 is an enlarged end elevational View of the cutter assembly;

Fig. .3 is aside elevational View thereof, partly in -.section, the section having been taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2.;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, longitudinally of the annular supportingmember, on line 44 ofFig.'3; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View transversely of the cutter. taken on line .5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the present drawing there is shown therein a pair of shafts Iii in a mutual parallel relation for supporting a pair of cutters, generally indicated by l l, in Fig. 1. Each of said cutters I l includes an annular supporting memher I 2, which is clamped or otherwise rigidly affixed in an encompassing relation with shaft LU. One end of said annular supporting member 12 is provided with recess [3, located centrally of said supporting member l2. Coacting with that end of supporting member [2 is ring it, which may be somewhat narrower than the width of said'supportingmember l2. Said ring id at one end thereof is provided with a reduced annular rib hi which enters said recess 13 for sliding movement therewithin. Normally the end face of .said rib i5 is in a spaced relation with the bottom body portion of saidmember l2, defining said recess l3, as is clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 5.

The side body portions of said ring liextending in lateral directions from said rib i5 define shoulders it, which normally contact with and rest upon the adjacent body end portions of said annular member 12, adjacent said recess i3, for limiting further shifting movement of said ring I 4 in the direction of said annular member 12;

The end face of said ring it is grooved for re- 7 receiving 'therewithin knife or cutter blade ll which is of an annular formation. The groove thereof effects an annular projecting flange ill, adjacent the inner periphery of said ring I l for the purpose of maintaining said cutter blade I! in a proper centered relation with ring it and supporting member [2.

The outer peripheral edge of said cutter blade ii is bevelled, as at 9. The cutting edge of said cutter blade ll is defined by the inner face of said cutter blade i'l, which is in contact with ring 1'4, and of which the outer edge extends beyond said ring 1'4 in an outward direction, and by said bevel l 9.

To maintain cutter blade I l in a rigid relation with ring M .aplurality of screws 2% is provided, the shanks of which are passed through said cutter i'ala'dell and are in a threaded engagement with ring it, as is clearly seen in Fig. 5. The heads of said screws 293 are provided with polygonal sockets ii for reception therewithin of a socket wrench whereby said screws 26 may be either tightened or removed.

As seen in Fig. i the cutting edges of a pair of cooperating cutter blades ll are in an overlapping relation, with the inner faces of a pair of cutter blades iii in contact whereby said cutting edges may cut sheet of material when the same is fed between said cutter blades ii when shafts m with cutters ii rotate, each in an opposite direction.

For the purpose of rendering cutter blade I! with its associated ring l4 yieldable away from supporting member I2 for the purpose specified, suitable mechanism for permitting such yielding is provided. This mechanism includes a plurality of screws 22 extended longitudinally of said supporting member 52 and passed from the opposite end thereof. Adjacent said opposite end of said supporting member !2 a plurality of bores 23 are made. Each screw 22 at its outer end is provided with cylindrical head 24 of a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of each bore 23.

Each of said bores 23, adjacent its inner end, communicates with a central, constricted opening 25, through which screw 22 freely passes and wherein the same may freely slide. The opposite end of each screw 22 is threaded for engaging ring i l. Interposed between head 24 and the shoulder in the body portion of member 52 defined by the bottom of said bore 28 and opening 25, is coil spring 2% normally compressed for the purpose of exerting pressure upon head 25 in order to drive rib l5 into recess I3 and shoulders HS in contact with the adjacent lateral portions of said annular member 12, as is seen in Fig. 3.

Each head 2% is provided with a polygonal socket 2'! for insertion therewithin of a socket wrench for the purpose of driving screw 22 in engagement with ring M, or for disengaging the same therefrom. Obviously screw 22 may be driven nearer toward cutter blade i! or farther away from it for the purpose of regulating the tension of coil spring 25.

When an unusual degree of pressure upon one cutter blade l'i is exerted by contacting the other cutter blade il due to causes hereinabove specified, the mutual pressure upon said cutter blades i'i will be engendered, of a degree which will be sufficient to cause the shifting movement of each cutter blade ll, with its cooperating ring M away from the adjacent end of annular supporting member i2. This in turn will cause the shifting movement of screw 22 within bore 23 and opening 25, against the tension of compressing coil spring 2?, thereby bringing about mutual yielding of the two contacting cutter blades Ii, without however interrupting the mutual contact therebetween, and without detracting from the cutting operation of the two cutter blades 5?.

The unusual degree of pressure upon one cutter blade I? by the other does not necessarily occur throughout the entire revolution of the two cutter blades ll. It may occur however at some one particular point of the peripheries thereof as they rotate. Therefore, when that point has passed cutter blades I? and their cooperating rings it assume their normal positions, being forced into those positions by the pressure of coil springs 25 exerted upon SC IQW head .4.-

4 Rib l5 constitutes therefore a guiding means for ring M and cutter blade l'l during their shifting either away from or toward said annular supporting member 52, thereby preventing the operative misplacement thereof from said member !2.

By virtue of the mechanism which permits mutual yielding of cutter blades ll, away from each other, and consequent shifting thereof away from supporting members l2, any possibility of the cutting edges of the cutter blades i'l being chipped or otherwise damaged will be effectively prevented.

Cutters ii may be rigidly aflixed to shafts H] by any suitable means. If said cut ers are each made in one piecascrews driven through supporting members It in a transverse direction for engaging shafts l8 will lock the cutters upon said shaft in a mutually adjusted relation for cutting operation. In the drawing another means for locking the cutters to shafts iii is suggested. That latter means contemplates making cutter blades ll, rings it and supporting members 22 in two semi-annular pieces, with their free ends in mutual contact along lines 28. To effectively lock the two semi-annular pieces of the three parts hereinabove mentioned, rings it at their ends as well as supporting members it at their ends may be provided with tongue and lip joints 29.

That arrangement will effectively prevent shifting or misplacement of the two semi-annular halves of the parts in a transverse relation or in an axial relation with shafts it. Screw as driven through the contacting ends of the semi-annular halves of the supporting member l2, that is in a transverserelation with the meeting plane along line 28, will not only bind the two semi annular halves of the parts, but will also clamp the entire assembly to shaft Hi. Recess 35 made adjacent one end of the semiannular end of supporting member 52, and adjacent the periphery thereof, will permit the unobstructed engagement of the head of screw as well as will accommodate the latter.

From the hereinabove description it will be seen that rib i5 sliding within recess l3 constitutes a guiding means for said ring it and cutter blade H in their shifting movement towards or away from supporting member i2, at the same time preventing the former from displacement on a transverse plane with relation to said supporting member l2.

Assuming that shafts iii are in a horizontal position the contact point of a pair of cutter blades ll will remain substantially on a vertical ransverse plane of said shafts it. Any deviation due to abnormal pressure by said cutter blades ll, one upon the other, will be permitted from said vertical transverse plane by the yielding connecting means, including screw 22, head I24 and coil spring 26.

It is further observed that the shifting of cutter blade l'i away from supporting member l2 due to an undue contactual pressure of one cutter blade i'i upon the other, will not disrupt the contactual relation of a pair of said cutter blades H, during the operation of a pair of cutters ll, due to the action of spring 26, which, through head E i at all times draws said cutter blades 1? towards their respective supporting mem bers i2. 7

Although in Fig. 1 both cooperating cutters as shown are yieldable, it is understood that good results will be obtained when only one cutter is yieldable and the other is rigid, because for all practical purposes when there is an undue degree of pressure between the two cutter knives the yieldable one will always yield under the pressure notwithstanding the fact that the other cutter is rigid and unyielding;

While there is described herein a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. A rotary cutter comprising an annular supporting member, a cutter blade, a blade mounting member, one end of said supporting member being provided with an annular continuous recess, a reduced annular rib formed at one end of said blade mounting member, said rib entering said recess for sliding movement axially of said supporting member, said cutter blade being rigidly aflixed to the opposite end of said blade mounting member, and yieldable connecting means between said supporting member and said blade mounting member for normally maintaining said blade mounting member in contact with said supporting member, a pressure exerted upon said cutter blade in a lateral direction away from said supporting member permitting said connecting means to yield for shifting said blade mounting member away from said supporting member, during the shifting movement of said blade mounting member said rib sliding within said recess for guiding said blade mounting member in its shifting movement with relation to said supporting member.

2. A rotary cutter comprising a pair of parallelly disposed shafts, a pair of annular supporting members each in a rigid encompassing relation with one of said shafts, a pair of annular cutter blades, a pair of annular blade mounting members, each of said cutter blades being rigidly 6 afiixed to one each or said blade mounting members, said cutter blades being in a mutual overlapping lateral contactual relation on a plane substantially transverse with relation to said shafts, one end of each of said supporting members being provided with an annular continuous recess, a reduced annular rib formed at the opposite end of each of said blade mounting members, each-oi said ribs entering one of said recesses whereby said blade mounting members are capable of sliding movement longitudinally with relation to said supporting members, a plurality of screws passed longitudinally of said supporting members for engaging each of said ribs, heads formed at the free ends of said screws, said supporting members being provided with bores of diameters substantially corresponding to the diameters of said heads, said screws and said heads being positioned within said bores for sliding movement, and coil springs encompassing said screws and interposed between the body portion of each of said supporting members and said heads, said coil springs exerting pressure upon said heads for normally maintaining said blade mounting members in contact with said annular supporting members, any undue lateral mutual pressure upon said cutter blades causing said ribs to shift within said recesses for bringing said blade mountin members out of contact with said supporting members.

JOHN G. ANTO'SH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 225,046 Binns Mar. 2, 1880 620,944 Mather Mar. 14, 1899 668,945 Allen Feb. 26, 1901 1,601,696 Trautman Sept. 28, 1926 1,723,660 Ross Aug. 6, 1929 2,377,130 Cohen May 29, 1945 

